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HERALD $1.00
little libraries pop up in Baldwin
Baldwin alumni athletes honored
50th anniversary for fire chief
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Vol. 28 No. 46
NoVEMBER 11 - 17, 2021
IDA mulls tax breaks for the Commons the developer said, because the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit would cap them. On Oct. 21, the Town of Dan Deegan, the developer’s Hempstead Industrial Develop- attorney from Forchelli, Deegan, ment Agency unanimously Terrana, LLP, told the IDA approved a preliminary resolu- board, “We are really talking tion to consider providing tax about working people that live breaks to developer here, and it would be Park Grove Realty a jumpstart to the for the PGD Baldwin revitalization of the Commons workforce downtown.” housing project at The $16 million 785 Merrick Road. project would be The proposed funded with convenfour-story, 32,504tional financing, a square-foot building state tax credit and would offer 27 oneg rants, including bedroom and six $850,000 from the $10 two-bedroom units million Downtown for seniors and Revitalization grant households earning that was distributed up to 60 percent of by the state in May. the median area allEN Partnering with income of around the Community HaNdElMaN $59,700 a year. Development CorpoFrom the IDA, the Developer ration of Long developer is seeking Island, a regional a sales tax exempnon-profit that tion, a mortgage recording tax addresses “the growing demand exemption and a 20-year PILOT for affordable housing,” Park with a 10-year extension with Grove estimates construction compliance. Although PILOTs would total $10 million, includare usually set at 20 years, the ing the hiring of 75 temporary, developer is asking for a 30-year local workers. agreement because of federal Baldwin Chamber of Comrent requirements. Park Grove would be unable to raise rents, Continued on page 15
By CRistiNa aRRoyo RodRiguEz carroyo@liherald.com
t
Karina Kovac/Herald
doRis duffy, faR left, Ginny Foley, Erik Mahler and Rolf Mahler joined in congratulating the new chamber president, Franky Jorge.
Chamber of Commerce swears in new president By KaRiNa KoVaC kkovac@liherald.com
Franky Jorge, vice president of operations at GalaFresh Farms in Baldwin, was sworn in as the new Chamber of Commerce president Nov. 4 at American Legion Post No. 246 in Baldwin. Outgoing 11-year chamber president Erik Mahler was also honored at the ceremony for his leadership with a tree and plaque in his name at Silver Lake.
Jorge, who was born into his family grocery business, said “giving back to the community” was ingrained in him. He said he now hopes to start “bringing new ideas, bringing a different mentality [to the chamber],” noting, “Service is everything — keep up with the town, and it will come back tenfold.” “I hope I do a great job, make everyone proud and help the businesses,” Jorge said. “There’s a lot of growth that will continue to happen,
a lot of unity that we can bring into Baldwin.” He ended with, “I have some things brewing.” After swearing in Jorge, County Executive Laura Curran, of Baldwin, commended the new president, saying, “I go to GalaFresh often . . . It’s a wonderful business, and I know [Jorge’s] going to do a great job,” adding, “We need our businesses to come back all the way, and with him at the helm, Baldwin business Continued on page 12
his would be the first project of its kind within . . . the Downtown Revitalization Area.